Measles death toll in Bangladesh tops 1,100

Bangladesh's measles outbreak has reached a critical juncture, with four more people dying from measles-like symptoms in the 24 hours to 8 am Wednesday, bringing the combined toll from confirmed and suspected cases to 1,108 since 15 March, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

Of the total fatalities, 101 have been laboratory-confirmed as measles, whereas 1,007 involved people who died with measles-like symptoms. During the same period, health authorities recorded 1,221 new suspected cases and 128 confirmed infections, thereby lifting the cumulative figures to 191,731 suspected and 21,520 confirmed cases. Furthermore, the outbreak continues to exert immense pressure on the healthcare system, with Dhaka Division alone reporting 466 new suspected cases, while hospitals in Chattogram, Sylhet, Rajshahi, Mymensingh, Khulna, Barishal and Rangpur are also grappling with a sustained influx of patients.

Since 15 March, some 169,800 patients with measles or measles-like symptoms have been admitted to hospitals, of whom 162,873 have been discharged. Nevertheless, the overwhelming majority of those affected are children, and their heightened vulnerability to complications has intensified concerns about the capacity of paediatric and infectious-disease hospitals.

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Public-health experts have attributed the unprecedented outbreak to gaps in routine immunisation, disruptions in vaccine supplies and administrative shortcomings, all of which have left sections of the population exposed, despite the substantial progress Bangladesh had made towards eliminating the disease. Reuters reported that specialists linked the crisis to interruptions in routine immunisation during 2024 and 2025. Consequently, the government has launched vaccination drives targeting children missed by earlier campaigns, whereas international health authorities have classified the situation as a high-risk outbreak. Meanwhile, Bangladesh's health authorities are intensifying emergency vaccination and awareness campaigns in the worst-affected areas.